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Sunday, April 10, 2011  
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Research Review
Loretta B. Szczotka-Flynn, OD, PhD, MS, FAAO

The Annual ARVO meeting will be held in Ft. Lauderdale again this year from May 1-5, 2011. A search of the abstracts finds ~90 poster abstracts devoted to contact lenses in the two Contact Lens Poster sessions held on Thursday, May 5. There are other contact lens specific presentations buried in other sessions throughout the week. Since this year's two dedicated contact lens poster sessions are held simultaneously, it will either be very efficient for those preferring to review all contact lens posters at once, or overwhelming for those preferring to digest all the new contact lens research in depth (I fall into the latter category).

The poster abstracts can be viewed online from the ARVO homepage www.arvo.org. Once you are in the Online Abstract Search, scroll down to "Session Title" and select "554 Contact Lens 1", or "555 Contact Lens 2" to view the abstracts. Both sessions are being held between 11:15am and 1:00 pm on Thursday, May 5th although the posters will be up for viewing that morning. I plan on getting there early!

Materials & Designs
Ronald K. Watanabe, OD, FAAO

Lens surface deposition can have a significant effect on comfort, even with the shorter lens replacement schedules we usually prescribe. Surface deposits depend on many factors and can be complex. Tear proteins, particularly lysozyme, are more likely to deposit on high water content hydrogel materials and silicone acrylate GP materials. Protein can denature with time and cause hypersensitivity reactions such as contact lens papillary conjunctivitis. Protein films tend to be rough and can also cause mechanical changes to the cornea and conjunctiva.

Lipids tend to deposit more rapidly on silicone hydrogels and fluoro-silicone acrylate GP materials, and can cause blurry vision and discomfort. Surface deposits can also allow bacteria to attach more readily, potentially increasing infection risk.

Surface deposition can be decreased by considering the above material characteristics, especially if a patient reports symptoms of discomfort or blurry vision that increases with lens age. Another previously discussed lens characteristic that can help reduce deposits is surface smoothness. Lenses can be manufactured with very smooth surfaces that more readily resist deposits, such as with Ultra-Clean Technology found in the new Acuvue Advance Plus. Wetting agents, either bound within the lens matrix or included in soaking and wetting solutions, can also keep the lens surface slippery and free of deposits.

As new materials and solutions are developed, we will likely see products that are better able to resist deposits and remain comfortable and healthy throughout the lens wear cycle.

NEWS
Alcon and Novartis Complete Merger

Novartis announced that it completed the merger of Alcon, Inc. into Novartis. The completion of the merger follows the Alcon and Novartis shareholders' approval of the merger at their respective meetings, as well as the proposed capital increase at the Novartis Extraordinary Shareholder Meeting and the subsequent entry of the merger into the commercial registry.

The newly formed Alcon business becomes the second largest division of Novartis leveraging its collective eye care product portfolio and expertise. The division will be headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas with operations in 75 countries.

When the new commercial model is implemented in the second half of 2011, the Alcon business will align as follows:

  • The Surgical business will continue to provide equipment, instruments, disposable products and intraocular lenses for surgical procedures that address cataracts, vitreoretinal conditions, glaucoma and refractive errors.
  • The Pharmaceutical business will combine Alcon's broad range of pharmaceuticals with selected products from Novartis Ophthalmics (excluding Lucentis). The Pharmaceutical business will also oversee the line of professionally driven over-the-counter brands in artificial tears and ocular vitamins.
  • The Vision Care business combines the CIBA VISION portfolio of contact lenses and lens care products with Alcon's market-leading contact lens solution portfolio.
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Merck to Acquire Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Merck and Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Merck will acquire Inspire, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing ophthalmic products.

Under the terms of the agreement, Merck, through a subsidiary, will commence a tender offer for all outstanding common stock of Inspire at a price of $5.00 per share in cash, a 26 percent premium to the closing price of Inspire's common stock on April 4, 2011. The transaction has a total cash value of approximately $430 million. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies and Inspire's board recommended that the company's shareholders tender their shares pursuant to the tender offer. In addition, Warburg Pincus Private Equity IX, L.P., which owns approximately 28 percent of the outstanding shares of Inspire, has agreed to tender all of its shares into the offer.

The closing of the tender offer will be subject to certain conditions, including the tender of a number of Inspire shares that, together with shares owned by Merck, represent at least a majority of the total number of Inspire's outstanding shares, the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and other customary conditions. Upon the completion of the tender offer, Merck will acquire all remaining shares through a second-step merger.

CIBA Vision Unveils Television Advertising Campaign Promoting Dailies

CIBA Vision is launching a new consumer television advertising campaign to promote the Dailies contact lens brand. The campaign features a 15-second television commercial scheduled to begin airing the week of April 4, 2011, nationally.

The new advertisement - the first of its kind for the brand - highlights the advantages of "a new lens experience every day, all day with Dailies." The campaign is a part of the Company's ongoing commitment to eye care practitioners, their patients and the importance of eye health.

For more information on Dailies brand contact lenses, visit www.dailies.com.


GP Specialists Consolidates Lab with Biocurve Facility

GP Specialists, a manufacturer of specialty rigid gas permeable contact lenses with an emphasis on lenses for Ortho-K, cornea reshaping or vision rehabilitation, has consolidated its laboratory operations into the former American Biocurve, Inc., facility in San Diego, CA. The move was planned after GP Specialists acquired the business of American Biocurve in January.

According to the company, the experienced personnel, equipment and facility are among the best in the industry, and combining the existing GP business with Biocurve's state-of-the-art facility will enable the company to pursue their aggressive growth plans. The consolidated lab is fully operational and no disruption of business with existing customers is anticipated.



This month at www.siliconehydrogels.org: Ethnic differences in ocular physiology, tear mixing and contact lens-related adverse events, risk factors for inflammatory and mechanical events, and our synopsis of the 2010 meeting of the American Academy of Optometry.
Editor's Commentary
Jason J. Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD, FAAO

Early on in my career, I became intrigued with the science and practice of marketing, and particularly the strategies used by manufacturers in our field. Although my work as an editor has lead to even greater exposure to the companies and their marketing teams, I actually became more aware of marketing initiatives in my clinician-scientist training.

I am not sure how my personal beliefs align with what is taught in marketing training programs, but from my standpoint, I believe that the most successful marketing strategies should be associated with evidence-based support. I like to see companies focus on the positive attributes of their own products rather than on the attributes of their competitors' products. I am not a fan of claims or terms about devices that don't really allow for insight into how the device works or the clinical science behind its functionality. As practitioners, we have the opportunity to critically ask "why" when presented with this information—and I encourage you to exercise this important option.

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Abstract

Transport of Phospholipid in Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses

Characterization of the transport and release of phospholipids from a silicone hydrogel contact lens is required to assess the possible use of these lenses for phospholipid delivery to increase patient comfort. In this study, contact lenses of silicone hydrogel composition were loaded with varying amounts of radiolabeled 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) from a solution of n-propanol. These lenses were eluted at 35 degrees C into artificial tear fluid (ATF) or ATF containing varying amounts of DMPC.

The amount of DMPC loaded into a lens is a linear function of the time of exposure to the DMPC/propanol solution. The initial rate of elution into ATF appears to be diffusion controlled for at least 10 hours and is proportional to the amount of DMPC loaded. The elution rate decreases as the DMPC concentration in the ATF increases.

The researchers concluded that the ease of loading and the controllable release of DMPC from silicone hydrogels presents the possibility of using such lenses to counter eye discomfort caused by inherently low levels of phospholipid in tears.

Pitt WG, Jack DR, Zhao Y, Nelson JL, Pruitt JD. Transport of Phospholipid in Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses. J Biomater Sci Polym Ed 2011 Feb 10.


Important Links:
To report adverse contact lens reactions visit: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/ or call (800) FDA-1088.
To report possible grievances related to the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act or associated Contact Lens Rule visit: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/.

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